Harnessing quantum optical phenomena in cold atomic ensembles
Lead Research Organisation:
Lancaster University
Department Name: Physics
Abstract
Light can mediate strong interactions between cold and dense atomic ensembles, such that the atoms respond to light cooperatively. Some of the recent findings in experimental laboratories and numerical simulations for these systems have been incompatible with the textbook wisdom of standard optics in a dielectric medium. In this programme we want to explain some of these failings and also to develop a novel platform for utilizing these strong interactions in the manipulation of light. Individual quantum particles have now been accurately controlled in experiments already for quite some time. However, technologically important many-particle systems have so far been beyond such control. The goal of the programme is to improve the control and manipulation of atomic ensembles and to guide experimentalists to develop better next generation optical devices and technologies based on quantum physics.
Planned Impact
Modern society relies on light-based technologies from data storage to telecommunications and healthcare. The control, manipulation and detection of atomic systems, ions, molecules, solid-state resonators, nano-emitters, quantum dots, metamaterials, superconducting microwave systems, surface plasmons and photonic crystals by electromagnetic fields are rapidly progressing. These systems are composed of resonant emitters and the goal is to make them smaller, denser and more coherent, resulting in collective and cooperative phenomena. Cooperative response can be achieved in media composed of "artificial" atoms (quantum dots, metamaterials, etc) via high-quality fabrication when broad distributions of resonances no longer mask light-mediated interactions, such that the systems behave more similarly to those composed of cold atoms. Although our project is focussed on cold atom ensembles, it therefore also has broad importance to a wide range of other media and to the development of optical devices in these systems.
Resonant emitters appear in entanglement generation, quantum memories, networks and communication in quantum information processing, in quantum sensing and metrology and, e.g., in laser technology, where cooperative effects in superradiant lasers may allow the development of very high frequency stability. Cooperative phenomena could also be useful in understanding and exploiting resonant energy transfer that is important in chemical and biological processes.
The UK government has initiated the UK National Quantum Technologies (QTs) Programme with a network of QT Hubs that transfers quantum physics from fundamental research to commercial products and services. The Hubs bring together physicists, engineers, industry and end-users. From sensing to metrology and quantum information processing, the interaction of light with atoms is a key element. QTs are already outperforming conventional sensors in the measurements of gravity, rotation and magnetic fields. The potential applications the QT Hub Sensors and Metrology include medical imaging, brain research, oil exploration, civil engineering (detecting groundwater, pipes, holes, leaks, etc.) and archaeology. Atomic clocks are essential, e.g., in high precision measurements and satellite navigation, while accelerometers are needed for navigation without satellites and could in the future revolutionize vehicle transport. The goal of the Hub is to engage with industry to develop small, light and cheap quantum devices. Although our proposal addresses fundamental research topics that are separate from the present QT Hubs, it aims to develop concepts and understanding that will have a long-term future technological impact. QT plays an important role also at DSTL where the development includes compact atomic clocks, gravity gradiometers and a precise navigation system from clocks, accelerometers and gyroscopes.
The proposed cooperative dispersion band engineering can have far-reaching future impacts. Enhancing the optical properties and functionalities of atomic medium to entirely new regimes, such as negative refraction and strong magnetic excitation of atoms by light, can open new gateways for utilizing atomic ensembles as optical devices. Previously, such regimes have only been attained in artificial media. Importantly, atoms do not absorb light that is turned into heat, and their purity and long coherence times can provide unprecedented opportunities in the development of applications, such as diffraction-free lensing that could revolutionize imaging. The pristine single-atom control and strongly-coupled 2D lattices could provide accurate wavefront shaping of light and effectively flat ultra-thin quantum optical components or a quantum photonic crystal. This could then act also as a hologram. Here the characteristic length scale is determined by the cooperative interactions between the atoms, allowing subwavelength manipulation of photons and near-field control.
Resonant emitters appear in entanglement generation, quantum memories, networks and communication in quantum information processing, in quantum sensing and metrology and, e.g., in laser technology, where cooperative effects in superradiant lasers may allow the development of very high frequency stability. Cooperative phenomena could also be useful in understanding and exploiting resonant energy transfer that is important in chemical and biological processes.
The UK government has initiated the UK National Quantum Technologies (QTs) Programme with a network of QT Hubs that transfers quantum physics from fundamental research to commercial products and services. The Hubs bring together physicists, engineers, industry and end-users. From sensing to metrology and quantum information processing, the interaction of light with atoms is a key element. QTs are already outperforming conventional sensors in the measurements of gravity, rotation and magnetic fields. The potential applications the QT Hub Sensors and Metrology include medical imaging, brain research, oil exploration, civil engineering (detecting groundwater, pipes, holes, leaks, etc.) and archaeology. Atomic clocks are essential, e.g., in high precision measurements and satellite navigation, while accelerometers are needed for navigation without satellites and could in the future revolutionize vehicle transport. The goal of the Hub is to engage with industry to develop small, light and cheap quantum devices. Although our proposal addresses fundamental research topics that are separate from the present QT Hubs, it aims to develop concepts and understanding that will have a long-term future technological impact. QT plays an important role also at DSTL where the development includes compact atomic clocks, gravity gradiometers and a precise navigation system from clocks, accelerometers and gyroscopes.
The proposed cooperative dispersion band engineering can have far-reaching future impacts. Enhancing the optical properties and functionalities of atomic medium to entirely new regimes, such as negative refraction and strong magnetic excitation of atoms by light, can open new gateways for utilizing atomic ensembles as optical devices. Previously, such regimes have only been attained in artificial media. Importantly, atoms do not absorb light that is turned into heat, and their purity and long coherence times can provide unprecedented opportunities in the development of applications, such as diffraction-free lensing that could revolutionize imaging. The pristine single-atom control and strongly-coupled 2D lattices could provide accurate wavefront shaping of light and effectively flat ultra-thin quantum optical components or a quantum photonic crystal. This could then act also as a hologram. Here the characteristic length scale is determined by the cooperative interactions between the atoms, allowing subwavelength manipulation of photons and near-field control.
Organisations
- Lancaster University (Fellow, Lead Research Organisation)
- L'Institut d'Optique Graduate School (Collaboration)
- University of East Anglia (Collaboration)
- University of Rochester (Collaboration)
- DURHAM UNIVERSITY (Collaboration)
- Amherst College (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM (Collaboration)
- University of Münster (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON (Collaboration)
- University of Paris-Sud (Project Partner)
- Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz (Project Partner)
- University of Otago (Project Partner)
- Max Planck Institutes (Project Partner)
Publications
Baio G
(2024)
Topological interfaces crossed by defects and textures of continuous and discrete point group symmetries in spin-2 Bose-Einstein condensates
in Physical Review Research
Ballantine K
(2022)
Optical magnetism and wavefront control by arrays of strontium atoms
in Physical Review Research
Ballantine K
(2021)
Quantum Single-Photon Control, Storage, and Entanglement Generation with Planar Atomic Arrays
in PRX Quantum
Ballantine K
(2022)
Unidirectional absorption, storage, and emission of single photons in a collectively responding bilayer atomic array
in Physical Review Research
Ballantine K
(2021)
Cooperative optical wavefront engineering with atomic arrays
in Nanophotonics
Ballantine K
(2022)
Optical magnetism and wavefront control by arrays of strontium atoms
Ballantine K
(2020)
Subradiance-protected excitation spreading in the generation of collimated photon emission from an atomic array
in Physical Review Research
Description | We have developed ideas and proposals for nonlinear ultrathin optical media based on atomic layers that strongly couple to resonant light. The system was also shown by us to exhibit complex phase transitions. One of the key challenges of natural media is to couple strongly to light at optical frequencies using its magnetic component, in addition of to electric component. The absence of magnetic optical activity has led to the development of artificial metamaterials. We have shown for the first time that strong optical couplings to magnetic fields can be obtained using neutral atoms by means of manipulating their collective excitations. This can have significant effects on optical manipulation and wavefront engineering. We have developed novel systems for optical bistability and for engineering non-trivial topologies. I also contributed one of the first invited Physical Review A Perspective articles (established to address important emerging fields of research) on this [PRA 108, 030101 (2023)]. For the news coverage, see the news articles listed in the earlier sections |
Exploitation Route | Optical manipulation possibilities utilising the proposed techniques. |
Sectors | Aerospace Defence and Marine Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software) Education Healthcare Culture Heritage Museums and Collections |
Description | The research of atoms cooperatively responding to light, including manipulation of light. I have established this field as a forefront research area in quantum optics of atoms. I have made significant progress in developing the field and inspired and guided high-profile experimentalists to get involved [Nature 583, 369 (2020); Nature Phys. 19, 714 (2023)]. I also contributed one of the first invited Physical Review A Perspective articles on atoms interacting with planar surfaces (established to address important emerging fields of research) on this [PRA 108, 030101 (2023)]. |
First Year Of Impact | 2020 |
Sector | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Other |
Impact Types | Cultural Societal |
Description | Member of EPSRC Fellowship Interview Panel 2023 September |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
Description | Prioritisation panel member EPSRC standard grants |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Membership of a guideline committee |
Description | Birmingham |
Organisation | University of Birmingham |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Contributing to theory analysis |
Collaborator Contribution | Contributing to theory analysis |
Impact | ongoing |
Start Year | 2019 |
Description | Cold atoms, Amherst |
Organisation | Amherst College |
Country | United States |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Collaboration with an experimental group. |
Collaborator Contribution | In kind contribution of research time of the faculty member and a PhD student. Access to research data. |
Impact | One publication in Nature Communications in 2019 |
Start Year | 2018 |
Description | Collaboration with an experimental group. |
Organisation | University of Rochester |
Country | United States |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Theoretical support for an experimental group |
Collaborator Contribution | Experimental work, time of a PhD student and a faculty member, access to data |
Impact | Joint publication in Communications Physics 2024 |
Start Year | 2020 |
Description | Denz |
Organisation | University of Münster |
Country | Germany |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Theoretical analysis of experiments contribution |
Collaborator Contribution | Experiment |
Impact | Ongoing |
Start Year | 2020 |
Description | Durham |
Organisation | Durham University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Theory collaboration |
Collaborator Contribution | Theory collaboration involved a Durham PDRA |
Impact | Communcations Physics publication |
Start Year | 2014 |
Description | E Anglia |
Organisation | University of East Anglia |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Theory collaboration on numerical simulations |
Collaborator Contribution | Theory collaboration on numerical simulations |
Impact | One Phys Rev Lett published |
Start Year | 2017 |
Description | Soton 2 |
Organisation | University of Southampton |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Collaboration with experimentalist group of Lagoudakis where theory supports and guides the experiment. We proposed and formulated a model for a all-optical topological band structure realising a classic model of band-structure topology whihc was implemented by experimentalists. |
Collaborator Contribution | Implementing the experiment, details provided of experimental conditions, numerical modeiling |
Impact | Nature Communication publication, news coverage |
Start Year | 2020 |
Description | Southampton |
Organisation | University of Southampton |
Department | PublicPolicy@Southampton |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | The group of Lagoudakis using laboratory at Skolkovo, related to Soton 2 collaboration |
Collaborator Contribution | The group of Lagoudakis using laboratory at Skolkovo, related to Soton 2 collaboration |
Impact | Nature Comm publication |
Start Year | 2020 |
Description | paris |
Organisation | L'Institut d'Optique Graduate School |
Country | France |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Theoretical analysis of experimental findings |
Collaborator Contribution | valuable experimental data and research team time |
Impact | Publication: Physical Review Letters 113, 133602 (2014) |
Start Year | 2013 |
Title | Quantum and Nonlinear Effects in Light Transmitted through Planar Atomic Arrays |
Description | This DOI contains code used to produce the results in the referenced paper. The code calculates light scattering from ensembles of interacting atoms using linear, semiclassical, and quantum models. |
Type Of Technology | Software |
Year Produced | 2020 |
Open Source License? | Yes |
URL | https://zenodo.org/record/3924699 |
Description | 724. WE-Heraeus-Seminar: Collective Effects and Non-Equilibrium Quantum Dynamics workshop |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | workshop |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016,2021 |
URL | https://www.we-heraeus-stiftung.de/veranstaltungen/seminare/2021/collective-effects-and-non-equilibr... |
Description | Division of Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics, American Physical Society, annual conference 2021, talk |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Division of Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics, APS, USA, online talk |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://damop.conferencecontent.net/login |
Description | EPSRC network on Metamaterials |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Member of EPSRC Network on Metamaterials MetaUK that includes both academics and industry utilising metamaterials. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | EU FET-Open Network ErBeStA workshop, Berlin, invited talk |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | EU FET-Open Network ErBeStA international workshop, Berlin |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://www.erbesta.eu |
Description | Interviewed by New Scientist (monthly visitors 5.7m) for the comments on an experimental realisation of our previous theoretical proposal to create Alice rings |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Interviewed by New Scientist (monthly visitors 5.7m) for the comments on an experimental realisation of our previous theoretical proposal to create Alice rings |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://www.newscientist.com/article/2389464-physicists-create-bizarre-quantum-alice-rings-for-the-f... |
Description | Invited talk - Atom-based Quantum Photonics, Durham |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Invited talk in an international workshop including researchers working on atomic systems interacting with light |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://aqpmeeting2022.blogspot.com/p/home.html |
Description | Invited talk - Division of Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics, American Physical Society, Orlando USA |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Invited talk, one of the main sessions - Division of Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics, American Physical Society, Orlando USA. Large audience of in the lecture room and online. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/DAMOP22/Content/4203 |
Description | META 2021, the 11th International Conference on Metamaterials, Photonic Crystals and Plasmonics, talk |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | META 2021, the 11th International Conference on Metamaterials, Photonic Crystals and Plasmonics, Warsaw Poland, July 2021, online talk |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://www.metaconferences.org/ocs/index.php/META21/META21#.Yi9lhS2cYhg |
Description | META 2023, 13th International Conference on Metamaterials, Photonic Crystals and Plasmonics, Paris, France, July 18 - 21, 2023 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | 13th International Conference on Metamaterials, Photonic Crystals and Plasmonics, invited talk; I was the invited speaker, but the talk was delivered by my junior group member |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://metaconferences.org/META23/index.php/META/index |
Description | METANANO 2021, VI International Conference on Metamaterials and Nanophotonics, invited talk |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | METANANO 2021, VI International Conference on Metamaterials and Nanophotonics, invited talk, online conference |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://metanano.itmo.ru/2021/ |
Description | Metamaterials 2021, 15th International Congress on Artificial Materials for Novel wave Phenomena, New York, USA |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Metamaterials 2021, 15th International Congress on Artificial Materials for Novel wave Phenomena, talk |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://congress2021.metamorphose-vi.org |
Description | New Scientist |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | New Scientist article "Ultracold atoms can work together to shape or steer light" on our recent research, K. E. Ballantine, J. Ruostekoski, Optical Magnetism and Huygens' Surfaces in Arrays of Atoms Induced by Cooperative Responses, Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 143604 (2020). |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
URL | https://www.newscientist.com/article/2253825-ultracold-atoms-can-work-together-to-shape-or-steer-lig... |
Description | News coverage of research article |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | News coverage "New quantum whirlpools with tetrahedral symmetries discovered in a superfluid" of the research publication. Here link to Phys.org but similar coverage found in several internet locations. The publication concerned: Topological superfluid defects with discrete point group symmetries, Nature Communications 13, 4635 (2022) |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://phys.org/news/2022-08-quantum-whirlpools-tetrahedral-symmetries-superfluid.html |
Description | Press release - fundamental particle modelled by light |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Several sites reported the findings of Nature Communications publications, for example, https://www.techexplorist.com/elusive-kind-fundamental-particle-modeled-beam-light/42489/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=elusive-kind-fundamental-particle-modeled-beam-light |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://www.techexplorist.com/elusive-kind-fundamental-particle-modeled-beam-light/42489/?utm_source... |
Description | Researchers synthesize artificial solid-state crystal structures using laser light |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | News reports on our recent research article in Phys Org L. Pickup, H. Sigurdsson, J. Ruostekoski, P. G. Lagoudakis, Synthetic band-structure engineering in polariton crystals with non-Hermitian topological phases, Nature Comm. 11, 4431 (2020). Similarly reported in several other locations |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
URL | https://phys.org/news/2020-09-artificial-solid-state-crystal-laser.html |
Description | The Munich Conference on Quantum Science and Technology 2021 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | The Munich Conference on Quantum Science and Technology 2021 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://www.mcqst.de/conference2021/ |
Description | WE-Heraeus Seminar on Quantum Control of Light 28 - 31 March 2023 at the Physikzentrum Bad Honnef, Germany |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Specialist workshop of leading practises around the world. I gave an invited talk (via a video link), many questions |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://www.we-heraeus-stiftung.de/veranstaltungen/quantum-control-of-light/main/ |